A Friend for Life
by Cylisy
Summary: Aang was not always fighting to save the world. He was once just a child. He played Air Ball. He played pranks on monks. He slept. He was not all powerful. He was just a humble monk. This is the story of Aang's youth the days before he was the Avatar.
1. Apples

**Disclaimer: I do _not_ own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**---**

**A Friend for Life  
**_Written by: Cylisy_

**  
Chapter One**  
_Apples_

The Eastern Air Temple was buzzing with excitement in the early hours of the afternoon. Air Nomads were feeling alive and jubilant. The elder nuns watched their charges with paternal protection, weary of every move the youngest ones made. Young Airbending children were showing each other newly discovered bending moves, some of which ended in innocent disaster. Flying lemurs scurried across the grounds and soared through the sky alongside the gliding monks. All was well on this day of peace.

A crowd of young Airbenders, visiting from the Southern Air Temple, was gathered in the courtyard of the middle house of the temple. They were all boys of roughly six years old and had been invited to the Eastern Air Temple for a traditional ritual that all Airbenders, future nuns and monks, participate in during their seventh spring. This was the day they were to choose their animal guides.

There were five anxious boys, fidgeting in their brown boots like children tend to do when they are excited. They whispered amongst each other, describing what their guides would look like, how powerful, how wise they would be. The five boys were still young, their heads bald and free of the blue tattoos that would, one day, mark them into adulthood and mastery of the Airbending arts.

A young nun interrupted them by kindly ushering them into a more organized group. The five boys obediently followed her and lined up in a horizontal line, facing the edge of the misty peaks of the temple's grounds. On her command, they all look to the sky. Gasps, oh's, and awe's filled the courtyard as the young children soaked in the sight.

In the sky, a mother sky bison was flying towards the waiting group while gingerly coaxing five little calves down to the temple's grounds. The little herd of bison circled their mother in excitement before rushing to the ground. Their mother landed close behind her six month old offspring. Warmth was in her amber eyes as she urged her children forward.

The Airbender nun also urged her temporary charges towards the waiting calves. Each of the five boys takes an apple from a bowl, which she had carried with her, and then held it tight in their hands. She smiles and instructs them, with a tender warning, "Chose well. A sky bison is for life."

Both calves and children hesitated, unsure of what to do but eventually that fear passes as one of the young boys, a prodigy of the Southern Air Temple, approached the smallest of the bison calves. He holds out the apple for the calf to inspect before tossing it into the calf's expectant, gaping mouth. They boy affectionately wraps his arms around the calf's head and is, in response, playfully knocked to the ground and showered with affectionate kisses.

From his position on the ground, the boy could only manage to laugh as he said, "Ugh! I guess this means we'll always be together!" His words are drowned with laughter as the calf begins licking him again.

"Look at Aang!" The other boys exclaim, pointing at their floored comrade. The remaining boys discover their bravery and step forward to choose their animal guides.

---


	2. Guardian

**Disclaimer: I do _not_ own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**---**

**A Friend for Life  
**_Written by: Cylisy_

**Chapter Two**  
_Guardian_

Aang yawned a large, and happy yawn as he sat up in one of the guest beds. Light filtered through the cracks in the blinds, illuminated parts of the room, mainly the four empty beds and the one still occupied by the yawning child. He groggily looked about the room, lazily taking note of the empty beds, the sole glider, and the chattering of scavenging winged lemurs outside the guest room looking for a quick breakfast.

"Mm," Aang sleepily said, "Food."

He sat tiredly in the bed before his eyes opened fully as he exclaimed, "Food! I'm late! Oh, no!"

The six-year-old Airbender scrambled from his bed and hurriedly gathered his clothes, dressing as he fled from his room. He rushed across the guesthouse, used a blast of air to quickly ascend a large flight of stairs and ran as fast as he could across the temple grounds.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" He worriedly said as he crossed a bridge to the most distant structure of the Eastern Air Temple, located on the farthest mountain. The Eastern Air Temple was scattered across three mountaintops thusly making travel between them troublesome to those on feet. Gliding was much quicker, but, in his haste, the young monk had forgotten his glider back at the guesthouse.

He ventured higher and higher up the temple with a clumsy but determined gait. He passed meditating monks, scheming winged lemurs, and training nuns practicing their bending. Aang did not stopping until he reached the bison stables at the very tip top of the holy structure. He slid through the large doors, stirring up dust and straw, and quickly took his place next to his snickering peers.

The nun that had introduced the young monks to their animal guides had been given other duties so a monk from the boys' home temple had arrived in her place over night. He was not a professional at sky bison rearing, but knew enough for the day's lesson. He was the renowned Monk Gyatso, one of the monks in charge of the Southern Air Temple. Monk Gyatso was also the sole caretaker of Aang, the reason of such relationship was unknown to the boy, however, and was quite baffling. None of the other boys were being raised by a single monk. Everyone grew up as a family.

Monk Gyatso eyed the late arriver with a humorous look, raising a curious eyebrow as he did. He cleared his throat as he said, "Now that each of you have been given the responsibility of raising a sky bison, you must be sure to take complete care of the little calf. That includes being on time to feed it."

Aang scuffed his feet and hung his head as red embarrassment crept across his face.

The monk continued. "Most of you have fed your calf and the ones who have not will be given the chance to in just a moment. For now, I have a short word to share with you about the importance of bonding with your animal guide. It will be your friend, that much is true, but it will also grow to be your guardian. You must trust in your bison and it must have complete, unwavering faith in you. Your very lives may someday depend on the strength of your relationship with your spirit guide. Remember this."

He smiled as he observed his studious pupils. They were deeply contemplating what had been told to them. Monk Gyatso cleared his throat and asked, "Have any of you thought of a name to call your new friends? That is surely to first step to bonding with your sky bison."

A wave of lightheartedness washed over the group of young monks as they were given something much more pleasant for their youthful minds to think about.

"Fluffy!" One of the children jokingly announced.

"Spot!"

"Tiny!"

The list continued on for a moment before the children separated to tend to their animal guides. Aang hastily made way to his hungry friend but was unfortunately detained by his caretaker.

"I'm proud of you, Aang."

"What for, Monk Gyatso?" Aang asked with a voice of question.

"For taking the stand of leader yesterday. You gave your peers bravery. You will need this great power for when you're older," the wise man said.

"What do you mean?"

Monk Gyatso shook his head and did not answer. He, instead, said, "Have you named him yet?"

"Uh-uh," the boy answered. "I haven't thought of what to call him yet."

"A name will come in time. Go to him and feed him, Aang," he kindly said. "I'm sure he is very hungry."

A surprised remembrance popped onto Aang's face as he remembered what it was he was doing. "Oh, no!"

He ran off towards his newfound friend while his caretaker watched him with humor twinkling in his eyes. Aang found his sky bison patiently waiting for him in a bed of straw. The Airbender compassionately said, "I'm so sorry buddy! I woke up late! I won't do it again!"

The calf made a little noise and licked his caregiver's hand. He was a friend for life. He would be forgiving. He would be a good listener. He would be a playmate. He would be Aang's guardian.

---


End file.
